Origin of nanoscale heterogeneity in the surface oxide film protecting stainless steel against corrosion

Stainless steels are widely used as metal components owing to self-protection in aggressive environments, provided by an extremely thin surface oxide film enriched in chromium oxide. Yet, despite decades of research, the mechanisms distributing the chromium enrichment at small length scale are poorly understood, although it may cause loss of stability and local failure of the corrosion resistance. Here, we apply high resolution surface analysis to investigate at small time and length scales the nucleation and growth mechanisms of the surface oxide on a model stainless steel. Starting from an oxide-free surface, we report the direct observation of the oxide nucleation and local oxidation of chromium, which governs the nanoscale heterogeneity of the growing surface oxide by chromium pumping from the atomic terraces to the steps for preferential Cr(III) oxide nucleation and subsequently by segregation from the atomic planes below to grow the Cr(III) layer incompletely saturating the stainless steel surface. This work provides new insight on corrosion chemistry, by evidencing local chemical and structural defects self-generated at the nanoscale by the building process of the protective oxide barrier, and affecting the passive film stability.